WWYD ? Son fell at school & no one called ?

[luvmy3]

Direct quote from the school handbook "If your child receives any injury during school hours, either an "acccident/incident report" will be written for you to sign. Parents will also be notified if any accident or incident occurs. Any head injuries are reason for immediate parent notification."

On school work "Age appropriate progress reports will be provided daily and a formal report (i.e. report card) will be sent home four times a year. These reports daily reports can be verbal or in written form and are part of our evaluation of the student's development."

I don't think I'm being unreasonable.

If that is the school's policy, I don't think so either in this case. I would email the teacher and just let her know you are concerned and because of the policy expected to be notified. If she gives you any problems then you can take it higher, but I would give her a chance to explain first.

 

[taximomfor4]

ONLY because your school policy states that you'd be notified of EVERY injury, I would email the teacher and ask what happened.

As for the seriousness of head injuries, the OP directly states this is a tiny, dime-sized thing on the forehead. I don't know everything about head injuries, but I do have a lot of experience with them (several experiences being very, very bad....even tragic). On the forehead (very, very thick bone), tiny (dime sized) , and an uncomplaining child would lead me to not give it a second thought. If school policy were to notify the parent, even for minor stuff, it would sit on the back burner, to be done later. Perhaps that teacher just forgot to mention it, since it was so minor and his bangs covered the physical reminder.

I certainly would NOT go to the principal. If it was just an honest omission of something that ultimately was NOT a big deal, why go over the teacher's head?

 

[NewCrew42]

It could be that the accident didn't happen while he was in the care of the regular classroom teacher. Perhaps the child was at music or art or recess and his regular teacher wasn't present when the incident occured.

Unfortunately, this will not be the last time that something like this happens to your child.

I would give the teacher grace, file the incident away in the back of mind, and if it happens again, then I might contact the school.

If your child did have a serious injury and needed more medical care, then the incident would need to be documented, contacting the school would be warrented.

Give grace and thank God that nothing serious happened.

 

[justhat]

Since it is their policy, then I can see why you would expect to be notified. If it were just an accident report they would send home, then I would chalk it up to the teacher forgetting. But if they are also supposed to call you, which is what it appears like to me from that quote, then that's twice she forgot. Now, that happens, and I really wouldn't be concerned at all. I might ask her at dropoff/pickup today what happened to his head, but other than that, I wouldn't make any issue out of it since this is the first time it has happened. If you see him come home with another injury and still no note or whatever, then I would bring it up more directly.

Really though, I have to say they seem a bit extreme in the injury policy. To send a kid home cause his nose bled seems overboard. I think anything contagious should be sent home immediately, but a nose that bled and has since stopped, well that seems a bit much. And not that your son's teacher should take it upon herself to make her own policy, but maybe she just figured that for such a slight injury a phone call wasn't necessary? Again, not her job to make her own rules, but just maybe that's what she thought.

 

[pandora174]

ONLY because your school policy states that you'd be notified of EVERY injury, I would email the teacher and ask what happened.

As for the seriousness of head injuries, the OP directly states this is a tiny, dime-sized thing on the forehead. I don't know everything about head injuries, but I do have a lot of experience with them (several experiences being very, very bad....even tragic). On the forehead (very, very thick bone), tiny (dime sized) , and an uncomplaining child would lead me to not give it a second thought. If school policy were to notify the parent, even for minor stuff, it would sit on the back burner, to be done later. Perhaps that teacher just forgot to mention it, since it was so minor and his bangs covered the physical reminder.

I certainly would NOT go to the principal. If it was just an honest omission of something that ultimately was NOT a big deal, why go over the teacher's head?

No it was a dime sized abrasion "along" with a raised bump on his forehead. My intention was not to go over the teacher's head I wanted to send her a note or if possible speak with her. DH wanted to e-mail the Prinicpal. So we discussed it last night & decided to speak to the teacher first.

DH dropped off DS this morning & mentioned to his teacher that DS came home with the abrasion & bump. The teacher pulled back his bangs, gasped & apologized & confirmed what DS had told us. That he had fallen in recess which she was supervising, she took him to the office and put ice and forgot to tell us or the Prinicipal who was out to lunch. She apologized again and said that this morning she was going to file the report for the prinicipal. DH said no problem, she was very nice about it & we left it at that. Just to please tell us because sometimes DS will be very vocal & other times not.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

DS 6 just finished dinner & I brushed his bangs back as we were talking & he went "ouch". I look & there's a dime sized abrasion & raised bump on his forehead. He's fine but no call from the school or mention from his teacher when DH picked him up.

DS said that the teacher put ice, which is fine & he told me he tripped in recess & fell & he hit his head on the ground. But I've never had any incident even minor not reported to me when he was in kinder. He's now in 1rst grade. It really bothers me because when DH picked him up the same teacher told DH that DS wasn't listening to the teacher's aide & that she had added a book for reading for homework. But the bump & abrasion she forgot to mention ?

Not that I'm complaining on how the fall was taken care of, ice etc. But his Kinder teacher always called & told me "don't worry, he fell, or so & so pushed him etc. I put ice but I had to let you know since I had to file a report for the principal." So I'm used to that type of interaction. P.S. DS attends a small private Christian school, so small class size & lots of hands on by the staff.

I was thinking of sending his teacher a note, just that please to let me know if he gets hurt at school & giving her DH & my cell phone. Of course the school has all our contact info at the office & maybe she was having a hectic day etc. I don't know but it really bothered me. DH wants me to send an e-mail to the Principal, nicely worded but documented.

School started 8/24, so far no other problems & DS likes his teacher. But to be honest my first reaction was to be upset since I wasn't expecting to see a big bump & abrasion & not be told about it immediately. WWYD ? I don't want to start a teacher vs parents fight. I really like his school & his teachers are great but I also want to make sure I know of any injury or treatment given to DS.

DD9 did a back flip in class last week and landed on her face (yep, she's super special, my girl ), and the nurse called and had me come pick her up (she was fine, just a bump on her forehead that was purple), and there was a written report along with what to look for with head trauma that came with her.

Unfortunately, there was no note on how not to be stupid in your classroom. Coulda used on of those, too.

Call the nurse and ask what the school policy is for head bumps, then ask the teacher to follow it in the future.

 

[sbell111]

Granted, it's been many years since I played on the playground, but my memory of it is that the kids run around and occasionally fall down. I'm certain that I got plenty of scrapes, bruises, and bumps simply by falling down without any outside help. I seriously doubt that my mother was ever made aware of any of these spills. Heck, I doubt that my teachers were ever aware of the majority of them.

I would let this issue go.

 

[lillygator]

minor bumps and bruises, I would let go but since this was the head, and there was a knot that formed I would want to know about it. At DD's school, they usually go to teh nurse if something happens adn the nurse documents whatever happened and sends a copy of the incident report home. I don't think the teachers do any adminitsering of even thinsg like ice, etc. Not sure if they are not allowed??

 

[pandora174]

minor bumps and bruises, I would let go but since this was the head, and there was a knot that formed I would want to know about it. At DD's school, they usually go to teh nurse if something happens adn the nurse documents whatever happened and sends a copy of the incident report home. I don't think the teachers do any adminitsering of even thinsg like ice, etc. Not sure if they are not allowed??

No it's a small private school. No nurse. The teachers are all first aid certified as we were told at the orientation & so is the Principal and the Asst Prinicipal. So there is no nurse. We sign a paper if it is ok for them to ice, put Neosporin, band aids etc. on minor injuries. They have a small room in the office with a cabinet with medical supplies like gloves, band aids, ice packs etc.

 

[mickaholic4077]

OP,you aren't over-protective. You're just watching out for your child!

 

[Tinkermom76]

OP you are a good mother!

 

[Missy1961]

Head injury, I would expect to be informed. A bruised knee, not so much.

 

[stella27]

I think that you and dh handled it just perfectly. It appears that the teacher realized that she should have informed you about it, and that she apologized for not having done so. I bet you won't have another problem with her forgetting to report an injury.

 

[Disney Doll]

When I read these kinds of threads, I am happy that I do not work for the school system.

 

[horseshowmom]

No it was a dime sized abrasion "along" with a raised bump on his forehead. My intention was not to go over the teacher's head I wanted to send her a note or if possible speak with her. DH wanted to e-mail the Prinicpal. So we discussed it last night & decided to speak to the teacher first.

DH dropped off DS this morning & mentioned to his teacher that DS came home with the abrasion & bump. The teacher pulled back his bangs, gasped & apologized & confirmed what DS had told us. That he had fallen in recess which she was supervising, she took him to the office and put ice and forgot to tell us or the Prinicipal who was out to lunch. She apologized again and said that this morning she was going to file the report for the prinicipal. DH said no problem, she was very nice about it & we left it at that. Just to please tell us because sometimes DS will be very vocal & other times not.

As another poster said, I'm not sure why the OP is being raked over the coals either. She said much earlier in this post that she was going to send a polite email and ask the teacher that she be notified in case of head injuries. No drama, just a polite email.

Instead her husband mentioned it to the teacher, who rightfully recognized that a report should have been filed. She made an honest mistake, and the dad accepted it as such. No drama.

However, the OP was not being unreasonable to have expected to be contacted over a head injury. We (as in our school district) would always contact a parent, explain what happened, and at least offer them the option of picking them up (would more than likely request that they pick them up due to the possible severity of head injuries and the liability issue).

OP, I'm glad that everything turned out okay!

 

[daisyduck123]

I am glad you agree with her quote about not being a big deal. I hope that stand up in court if you ever have a kid that gets knocked in the head and then has serious complications from it. Head injuries are nothing to play with, I don't get the mentality here. If you don't see it then I understand, but if a kid tells you that he has been hurt you better do your job and get him to the nurse.

I might send the kid to the nurse....but that doesn't mean the parent will be notified/and or receive an incident report. The nurse doesn't write those for every child that enters the Health Room.

 

[2Kds2K9]

In our county the school is required to contact a parent if there is any type of head injury. I found this out after my DD (then 12) got a skull fracture at school.

She fell while playing basketball and was sent to the school nurse. The nurse asked if she had a headache and that was all. Sent her on her merry way. DD got home that afternoon and took a nap. She NEVER takes a nap. That night she mentioned what had happened and I then was concerned and checked out her pupils and any bumps. Long story short, after two days of headaches and one doctor visit, we ended up in the Urgent Care where they did a CT Scan. That's when the skull fracture was discovered. I notified the school and the principal almost had a cow. She told me that the county policy is that the school MUST notifiy the parent when there is a head injury. The school nurse was given her last warning and was fired at the end of the school year.

So, I truly believe that after ANY type of head injury, the school should be required to notify the parent and then the parent can make the decision of what the next step should be.

Please contact your school and make sure that there is a policy in place.

Good luck.

 

[jinia]

OP - I would bring it to there attention. It is a head injury not a scrape requiring a bandaid.

I don't understand what is wrong with some people. This kid is in 1st - it is not age appropriate for him to tell his parents everything...a head injury isn't where I would be testing that. I guess if a kid doesn't wake up the kid deserved it for not telling his parents - what a bad kid.

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

please make sure you're voting folks into office that will fund school nurses and $ to keep class sizes small. Less funding makes doing a good job with this kind of situation even harder. Some schools don't even have nurses.

Special Ed teacher here, my kids are hurt A LOT. We give bandaids and hugs. Please consider working it out w/ the teacher before going on to principal.

I hope your little one is ok

 

[mjkacmom]

please make sure you're voting folks into office that will fund school nurses and $ to keep class sizes small. Less funding makes doing a good job with this kind of situation even harder. Some schools don't even have nurses.

Special Ed teacher here, my kids are hurt A LOT. We give bandaids and hugs. Please consider working it out w/ the teacher before going on to principal.

I hope your little one is ok

I think the OP's ds attends private school, so it really doesn't matter who she is voting for. My kids attend public, and all 5 elementary school, the JH, and the HS have full time nurses, with their own offices.